Friendship or Love?
by CollinsJ
Summary: ...choosing one over the other is never easy. STORY COMPLETE


**Title : Friendship or love?**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Rizzoli and Isles, just this story.**

**AN: My hands just started moving over the keyboard and this is the result.**

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The shooting at the warehouse obviously didn't go down well. In fact, it was catastrophic. One ill thought-out plan, and consequently impulsive action left Dr. Maura Isles and Det. Jane Rizzoli at logger heads. The seemingly unbreakable bond between the two was shattered. The untouchable love the best friends shared blew up in flames and left absolutely nothing in its wake – if you never knew the bond between these two, you never would. No one spoke of it, all evidence that it was once there disappeared into thin air. What made these two what they were, is what ultimately broke them.

Jane was the epitome of the word individual; she wouldn't have it any other way. She believed in herself, and she trusted her judgement. Maura was the definition of lost. She didn't fit in, in the morgue. Her dressing and beauty wasn't meant for digging intestines. Her wealth didn't allow for her to be working at all, and hence her social status had no place in the Dirty Robber. Everything about her screamed 'lost'. From the moment she stepped out of her lavish Beacon Hill home in a $2000 outfit and drove to the BPD in her Toyota Prius speaking her fancy words, one would always wonder.

But when Jane and Maura merged together it just all of a sudden made sense.

The shooting at the warehouse undid everything. Where Jane almost lost complete faith in her beliefs and actions, Maura almost lost a father – the one hope that could make her belong. Not belong in the world, but belong within herself.

When Jane thought Maura would apologize for the undeserving treatment she received, and Maura though Jane would apologize for her swift reflexes, and then none of that happened – they both stood their ground. The moment of anger departed just as quick as it arrived, leaving two people who agreed to disagree.

Yes they were both in love with each other, but their friendship took precedence above all else. When confusion, heartache, and jealousy rose to the surface a year prior to said warehouse incident, they agreed to settle the matter by stating that any romantic relationship was off the table. It was a ridiculous notion between two people with the kind of chemistry they shared, but these too women proved to have surprising self-restraint. It was a painful but much needed process that they endured. (Almost like when you feel so sleepy around 6pm but you know it's too early to succumb to sleep because you will be up by 2am with nothing to do. If you just utilize all self-restraint and endure the hour, by 7pm you won't feel sleepy anymore and you can then enjoy your normal peaceful slumber at 11pm). So they suffered through the brief trying period in which they so desperately wanted to rip each other's clothes off, until they got back to equilibrium.

The love never went away, but their friendship kept them going. All until the shooting – the point in which they agreed to disagree. Maura left Boston to go and live in France with her mother, while Jane remained just where she was. The two stubbornly went about their lives as if they had never met.

Jason Levine mistakenly entered Jane's life after the Maura period. His relationship with the brunette left almost nothing to be desired. He was living in a perfect world, with a perfect woman, with an imperfect past he knew nothing of. Up until a year and a half into their relationship, precisely seven days after his marriage proposal had been accept, Jane was caught in the line of fire. The bullet was a through and through, past all vital organs. Miraculously it missed fatal points, leaving the detective in promising comatose.

Maura was contacted by Angela right after she got the call from Korsak. Many times Jane had been lucky to dodge the bullet, but not this time around. Angela was beside herself, she didn't know what to do. It just seemed appropriate to contact the 'former' best friend. She had obviously been in hysterics and shock when she rang Maura – who had left her details in case of emergency. This constituted as an emergency right? Yes, it did. Maura was on the Isles private jet to Boston within two hour of the call.

In the hospital, Angela, Korsak, Frankie, Tommy, Frost, and Jason all stood trying to console each other. It was a fruitless endeavour. With no news from Jane's surgery yet, they were all restless. A few questions about Jane's health had been directed to Angela as the Medical Power of Attorney. Angela had requested that they do what is necessary now and leave all other procedures that could wait for just some hours.

''Ma! You can't be taking your time to think while Jane has her guts open. You need to make all decisions now'', Frankie yelled.

''Mrs Rizzoli please, at least talk to them and understand what is going on with Jane'', Jason pleaded. They all just couldn't understand the woman's reluctance; Jane's life was hanging by a thread for crying out loud.

All immediate life threatening procedures were carried out, and Jane wasn't brought to ICU until the next morning. The small group slept in the waiting room, all reluctant to leave for anything more than a toilet break. The detectives worked from their laptops and phones while Jason did his best to comfort his soon to be mother-in-law.

When the doctor came out he said they could go in and see Jane two at a time. Angela was about to let the doctor lead her and Jason in first when Maura Isles walked into the waiting room. All eyes fell on her immediately. As per usual, she was looking lost. Designer clothes and perfect hair didn't go with the utterly broken puffy face in a hospital waiting room.

''Maura'', everyone gasped except for a perplexed Jason and the doctor. Maura fell into Angela's arms like a rag doll and sobbed loudly.

''Tell me she's ok please'', the blonde begged. Angela tugged on her and they followed the doctor. All the men in the waiting remained looking stunned, Jason more so than the others.

''Who the hell is that?'', he pointed in the direction the three had walked in.

''Maura Isles'', the others all said in unison, albeit in different tones.

''Who?'', Jason asked a second time.

''Jane's former BFF'', Tommy was the only one with the guts to tell him.

''I don't understand?'', Jason carried on.

''Listen…'', Korsak began patiently and wisely, ''Just let it go for now ok. It's a very long story that is not at all for these circumstances.''

With that the story was closed. Jason watched in grave silence as the two women eventually left Jane's room. When everyone had had a turn, he watched as the doctor talked to them in great detail about Jane's condition and asked Angela questions about optional procedures she thought Jane would prefer. The questions where directed to Angela, but were all answered by Maura who was sat diligently by Angela's side now, instead of Jason.

Jane's fiancée watched as Maura requested a private room for Jane and ordered people around regarding Jane's treatment and stay in the hospital. Remembering Korsak's words, he filed all this away for later. Maura had only said one word to the man – hello, and that was it. Since her arrival, he seemed to have become invisible. It was Maura this, Maura that. And when all was said and done, and Jane was deemed fit to rest for the day, Maura 'told' the doctor that she would have some alone time with her, then told everyone else she would meet them at the Rizzoli home later.

''How come no one ever mentioned Maura?'', Jason asked Frankie when they were home.

Frankie let out a loud sigh. He didn't know where to begin and where to end with the story. ''Look. They were best friends and after a major misunderstanding Maura moved to France''

''But-''

''You can get the details from Janie when she is ok. Trust me, she'll explain it better. Heck, I don't even understand the half of it''. With that, Jason laid it to rest again.

After lunch Maura still hadn't come by. Angela figured she'd gone back to a hotel to rest maybe. The guys left for work and Jason said he'd stop and see Jane before he went home. Angela was due to go and spend the night with Jane so she figured Jason could have some time alone with Jane.

When Jason got there, it was to see Maura with Jane's hand in her own weeping. It was a sad sight, despite the fact that he had initially been put off by the way Maura had waltzed in from abroad acting like a boss. He quietly watched as the blonde loving stroked his fiancee's hand. He watched intently as Maura ran her hand down Jane's hair and whispered endless words. Her face looked pained, and hurt, and terribly broken. The patient was a complete opposite. Jane's face looked peaceful, calm, and at rest.

After brief contemplation Jason joined Maura. The blonde made no move to excuse herself, she just looked up and greeted him with a small smile.

''Maura'', he greeted. When the blonde just continued stroking Jane's hand he decided it was better to let his intentions known, clearly subtlety wasn't going to work. ''Could I perhaps have some time with my fiancée?''

The word stuck out like a sore thumb. Jane's ring had been removed when she got to the hospital, and Maura had mistakenly thought Jason was nothing more than a fleeting boyfriend. Without another word, she placed a lingering kiss to Jane's forehead, and walked out.

Angela settled herself on the uncomfortable couch for the night. She watched Jane and sent a silent prayer that the Lord would make her baby girl alright. Well after midnight, it should have been around 3am, Maura came back. It was no surprise to Angela. The woman might have been ancient, but she knew love when she saw it. Jason was lovely and fit alright with her Janie, but he was no Maura. The man was merely a second best, and second best wasn't so bad – unless you had first best standing right in front of you.

The two women spoke at great length. Maura told Angela about what she had been up to for the two years she had been in France, and the elder woman in turn related what had transpired in her absence. The chat led them into the early morning where they soon succumbed to sleep. This routine lasted them for five more days. Angela and Maura spent the nights with Jane. It the morning they left and the boys dropped in at various times, until night time came and the women returned. The same way no one really talked to Maura about Jason was the same way no one really talked to Jason about the Maura. The two in turn, didn't talk at all. There wasn't really tension or dislike. It seemed they were both just waiting for Jane to wake up so she could introduce them, and that way they would know where they both stood in the detective's life.

Did Jason sense Maura had romantic feelings for his fiancée, yes. But that didn't faze him much. It was ultimately Jane's call. And if she had agreed to marry him, the odds were in _his_ favour. The Rizzoli's still treated him the same, everything else still seemed fine. It was just a matter of waiting for Jane to awaken.

The day Jane finally regained consciousness was received with open arms by all parties. No one had been around when her eyes first opened. The doctor checked on her and swiftly rang Angela. The matriarch informed everyone and all cars were en route Mass Gen. They all rounded Jane's bed peering at her like you would scrutinize an experiment. She was still dazed but her eyes didn't miss Maura. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Maura slid between Frankie and Angela and was right beside Jane. She softly caressed Jane's cheek and never broke her gaze. Everyone watched as if they had just stepped into a movie. The doctor spoke loudly to everyone and that finally broke the spell. Jane nodded or shook her head to what was asked but never spoke.

The doctor instructed them too all leave Jane because it seemed everything was overwhelming and could potentially be confusing to his patient. They all said their good-bye's and Jason made a show of planting a kiss to her lips before they all began milling out. Jane then lifted her hand and pulled Maura back. The whole family stopped dead in their tracks, before the doctor told Maura she could stay since Jane wanted her to.

Jason had counted it a challenge when his fiancée and her 'best friend' had a minor staring contest. Then he saw it a victory when she had not protested to his kiss in front of everyone. But all hope was crushed like a bug when her first proper attempt at emotion was to silently ask Maura to be alone with her. Not him, the fiancée. Or even her mother or brother, but Maura. What was even more upsetting was the fact that it seemed like a normal gesture to everybody else, except for him.

''I was a fool to let you go'', Jane spoke her first words.

''I was a fool to leave'', Maura responded, already on the verge of powerful tears.

They embraced and cried for a long time.

''I am going to break it off with Jason-''

''I will have you Jane. All of you'', Maura cut off before Jane even finished her sentence.

''I refuse to be a fool twice'', Jane rasped.

''Me too''. With that they kissed for the first time. It was like a breath of air after being underwater for too long. They had relinquished the self-control they had. They had thrown caution to the wind and let nature take its course. If the two years apart had taught them anything, it was that supressing their love to preserve their friendship was a lose-lose situation.

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**AN: Should I just leave it as a one-shot or does anyone see potential for a few more chapters? Still working on the next longer fic.**


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